Tess Lazaro

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Maria Theresa "Tess" Parreño Lazaro (born May 8, 1959) is a Filipino diplomat and lawyer who has served as the 29th secretary of foreign affairs since 2025. She previously served as the undersecretary for bilateral relations and ASEAN affairs from 2022 to 2025 and held various diplomatic posts under multiple Philippine administrations. A graduate of Maryknoll College (now Miriam College), Lazaro pursued legal studies at the University of the Philippines Diliman. She joined the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1984 and has since served in several administrative and diplomatic roles. She served as the Philippine ambassador to Switzerland from 2008 to 2011 and as ambassador to France and Monaco from 2014 to 2020. In 2022, Lazaro was appointed as undersecretary for bilateral relations and ASEAN affairs. During her tenure, she was involved with discussions concerning the possible acceptance of Afghan refugees into the country and served as a top negotiator in maritime disputes in the South...

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